"I mean, Fellowship was just under three hours and this is about two hours, 40 minutes at the moment."

The report notes that the end credits reel is still to be added to the filmed footage and some of the effects shots are yet to be finalized, but the running time is unlikely to be significantly altered by these factors.

An Unexpected Journey will be the first of three Hobbit installments, with Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis leading an all-star cast.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14. Watch a trailer for the film below: